Official Tottenham Hotspur Thread

[ClaRK! Kent]

As far as our quest for a midfielder is concerned, the Transfer Talk thread has rumours that Jol is after Stuart Downing, Gareth Barry, and apparently even Bordeaux's Denilson.

Evidently rumours are rumours, esp. where somebody like Denilson is concerned, but still... who'd you rather have in the midfield?

I'd take Downing or Barry, preferably Downing but Boro are being right bastards about it ATM. Denilson would be an excellent signing on paper, but whether he could adapt to the Premiership is the biggest question mark, as is how good he has been in recent years as I've not seen much of him since he left Spain (Betis, IIRC?).

To open it out, imagining we get some of our more realistic transfer targets this summer, what'd be your ideal Spurs line-up next season? Just to generate some discussion and player-flaming.

I'm gonna suggest...

ROBINSON

CHIMBONDA KING DAWSON YP-LEE

LENNON JENAS CARRICK DOWNING

KEANE BERBATOV

Decent enough first 11 - with Defoe, Kelly, Taino, Ziegler and Davids all floating around competing for places as well it'd be a tough team to beat. Hopefully it's a good summer in the transfer market, and hopefully we don't lose Kelly as he's a solid defender if not a guaranteed first-choice in his position.

[fineintent]

I'd love:

GK: Robinson

DR: Chimbonda

DL: Kelly/Lee

DC: King

DC: Dawson

MR: Lennon

ML: Downing

MC: Carrick

MC: Huddlestone/Zokora

FC: Keane

FC: Defoe/Berbatov

Obviously, a more defensive-minded CM like Huddlestone or Zokora would allow Carrick more freedom and (as we saw against Arsenal) that's where he is at his best.

[Lineker]

Carlton Cole is reportedly coming for £2mil. And Boro have written off a deal for Downing.

I'd like...

Robinson; Chimbonda, Y.P.Lee/Ziegler, King, Dawson; Lennon, Davids/Reid/another ML, Carrick, Tainio; Keane, Berbatov.

Will the club offer tickets to the Inter game to season tickets first?

[alldaws1]

I'm gonna suggest...

ROBINSON

CHIMBONDA KING DAWSON YP-LEE

LENNON JENAS CARRICK DOWNING

KEANE BERBATOV

Decent enough first 11 - with Defoe, Kelly, Taino, Ziegler and Davids all floating around competing for places as well it'd be a tough team to beat.

Wait, so if we hold on to Davids, you'd rather start Jenas over him?

Will the club offer tickets to the Inter game to season tickets first?

Yep. Season ticket holders can get them mid-June, everyone else early July.

Chimbonda says he expects to join Spurs by the end of next week, which I can't see happening unless Wigan are willing to budge on the price tag, or Chimbonda's agent has heard that Spurs are willing to match it.

My preferred starting 11, if we made some of these transfers would be:

GK Robinson

RB Chimbonda

CB Dawson

CB King

LB Lee YP

RM Lennon

CM Carrick

CM Davids (Tainio if Davids has gone)

LM Downing

CF Keane

CF Berbatov

[ONO]

Sky Sports has said Chimbonda won't decide on his future till after the World Cup.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Bwahahahaha we're wasting money on Carlton Cole!

Come on, Barnard is a far better prospect to have on the bench.

Stephen Kelly is much the better player than Stalteri. They both make mistakes TOO regularly though but Kelly has a spark about him that for the most part Stalteri doesn't.

[ONO]

Cole isn't that bad. =/

£2m is a good price for Cole. He isn't what everybody makes him out to be. He's fairly decent on his day.

[alldaws1]

Sky Sports has said Chimbonda won't decide on his future till after the World Cup.

BBC has said "France coach Raymond Domenech wants all transfers settled before the squad heads to Germany on 8 June." and ""I think it'll be settled on the rest days - next Friday or Saturday." said World Cup-bound Chimbonda. "I haven't spoken to Spurs, but my agent has."" So I'd say it will likely be sorted before the World Cup.

And I really don't see us signing Carlton Cole. After securing Berbatov, there's no rush to sign another striker at all with the prospects of Barnard and Dixon coming through the ranks.

[ONO]

Yeah, I don't think he'll tolerate much this France coach. Coupet stormed out of training, so there we have it folks, first World Cup bust up, and the tournament hasn't even started.

What do you think of Cole?

And heh, you staying up for the Rooney scan results being made public?

[alldaws1]

No, I've just been watching Scrubs all night, recently borrowed series 2 and 3 on DVD.

From what I've seen of Cole he's a bit hit and miss, not a worthy signing for us I don't think.

[Guest Heresy]

Cole is absolutely wank. Sorry, but he really is. You Spurs fans will find out like we (Villa) did.

[Summers]

Wank isn't the word. You put him up up front and he thinks he's a winger. He was terrible.

[alldaws1]

You Spurs fans will find out like we (Villa) did.

There's no official word that we've signed or even approached him. I doubt it's true anyway.

The Club has exercised its option to extend the contract of defender Stephen Kelly by a further year.

The new Republic of Ireland international, who made his debut on Wednesday evening against Chile, has made 43 first team appearances in our colours.

Striker Mido will return to Roma this summer at the conclusion of his 18-month loan period, while we also say farewell to Goran Bunjevcevic and Noureddine Naybet.

Goran, signed by Glenn Hoddle in May 2001, played 58 first team games and played a key role as a senior player in our young reserve group winning the Barclays Premiership Reserve League South.

Veteran defender Noureddine joined at the beginning of season 2004-05 from Deportivo La Coruna and went on to make 32 appearances.

We thank all the departing players for their contribution and wish them every success for the future.

Good news about Kelly. No surprises with Mido, Bunjevcevic and Naybet leaving.

[Lineker]

We need a CB now. We only have King, Dawson, Huddlestone, and Davenport now, with the latter 2 being young and relatively unexperienced at Premiership level. I don't think Chimbonda is a CB, but could push into there if necessary. A good signing would be Upson, even though he used to play for the scum.

[alldaws1]

We need a CB now. We only have King, Dawson, Huddlestone, and Davenport now, with the latter 2 being young and relatively unexperienced at Premiership level.

We also have Anthony Gardner. Obviously Jol feels we need another centre-back with the approach for Curtis Davies.

[Lineker]

Forgot him :S.

But Davies would be a top signing.

[ClaRK! Kent]

Cole would be a big waste of £2million IMO, especially if money is an object this summer (which it usually is up to a point) and Wigan are still pissing on about Chimbonda's price tag. Same with Boro and Downing. If we have a spare 2 million quid to be looking at a proven lemon like Cole, surely we'd be better putting it towards talented players who have proven they can play?

alldawson - if we hang on to Davids, I can see him getting phased out as he gets older and remaining in a role similar to the one Bergkamp had at Arsenal. Jenas is much younger, with bags of potential, and personally I think he'd start over Davids what with our "buy young, buy English" policy and the fact that he doesn't get himself banned every 5 games.

[Lineker]

Cole can be alright, he was great for the England U21's, until he hit 22, he just never got a chance at Chelsea. He wasn't that bad at Villa and Charlton(?), was he?

[Guest muddatrucker]

I think Carlton Cole is shit.

[Lineker]

Pascal Chimbonda's agent has accused Wigan Athletic of reneging on an agreement to allow the full-back to leave the JJB Stadium for £1.5million.

The Frenchman is keen to join Tottenham Hotspur, but Latics officials have reportedly rejected an offer of £4.2million from the London club.

Chimbonda's agent, Roger Boli, told the News of the World: "I don't understand the attitude of Wigan.

"We had an agreement that he could go for £1.5million. This was what we agreed when Pascal signed a new deal.

"Now Tottenham are offering £4.2million and Wigan want £6.3million - for a player that cost them around £550,000. It's not normal.

"Pascal wants to go to Tottenham. I hope that Wigan will not complicate things."